Enthrall Me (The conclusion to Enchant Me) (3 page)

I frowned. “No, I’ve been trying…I might have to block off my powers again.”

Disappointed, I rebuilt the wall in my mind, and in the same visual rush, the Otherworld subtracted. My eyesight cleared, and I blinked at how bright the overcast day now seemed. I met Alexis’s anxious glance, and she sighed and nodded in relief. My eyes must have returned to normal.

Quietly we all stood up and headed to the road. Out of my peripheral vision, I could see Alexis chewing on her bottom lip again. I tried to wait a couple of minutes for her to say whatever was on her mind, but I couldn’t stand the suspense. “What?”

She took a quick peek at me, but kept her eyes on the uneven ground as we walked. I felt like she stalled for time. “I wonder if your powers are growing again?”

I thought about it for a moment. “I do feel different here. Your powers seemed to have grown too.”

She looked at me, surprised. “You think so? I just thought I was getting better from all the practice.”

“Ciara will know.” Brianna stated with supreme confidence.

Ciara… I didn’t know if this information would help or hinder her opinion of me. Brianna called Grady for a ride, and within moments we were headed home. He seemed quieter than usual, and I wondered if the seer Cassandra had arrived. During the ride home, bit by bit I released my powers again, relief filled me as I could sense Alexis again.

As soon as we pulled up, Ciara stood at the front door, and waved us in. We followed her into the reception room, where Liam sat forward in his chair, hands steepled in deep thought, while Neila paced between the bookshelves on either side of the room. Not being the patient sort, Alexis moved to Ciara, who stood at the hearth, staring intensely at the flames. “What’s wrong?” she asked her.

Ciara sighed and turned to all of us. “I’m getting reports that Druids all over Ireland are going missing. There’s even a rumor that an entire grove in the south has disappeared. I’m looking into it, but I don’t have a good feeling about it. I don‘t want the three of you to go off alone anymore.”

All the blood dropped from Alexis face, and I quickly walked over, and put an arm around her shoulders. I knew she wasn’t worried about us, but for those that had disappeared.

“Could there be a positive explanation?” I asked the room at large.

Liam shook his head and flung himself back against his seat. “No. One of the missing is a friend of mine. He’s very close to his mother, who lives all by herself. He would never just disappear like this. It’s been over a week now.”

Neila stopped, and briefly rested a hand on Liam’s shoulder before resuming her pacing. I gave a speaking glance to Alexis and Brianna, thankfully they both seemed to understand now wasn’t the time to bring up my change in powers.

We speculated about the situation over dinner, to the point I thought all of us would get a brain tumor. Eventually Ciara sent us upstairs to wash up, and go to bed. After showering I came back to my room to find Alexis mimicking Neila with her pacing. It looked uncomfortable, pacing in a room so small and crowded with antiques. Her copper curls bounced in rhythm with her jerky stride. When I closed the door behind me her head snapped up. “We have to do something.”

“I know,” I answered in my calmest tone. The last thing I needed was for Alexis to go off running into danger. I reached out to pull her into my arms, but she darted out of the way. I understood though, she felt too agitated to stand still, so I sat down on the bed and watched her pace my room. I made a resolution as I watched her. I would end all threats to her and the Grove. I wouldn’t show mercy the next time, it was too dangerous.

She eventually wound down on her own, and I pulled her onto the bed with me, and held her tight. From down the hall I could hear footsteps approaching. Before Alexis and I could break apart, Liam knocked and opened the door. With the most serious expression I’d seen on him yet, he regarded us. “We’ll start you’re training first thing tomorrow morning, so rest up.”

He turned and left, and I glanced down at Alexis, who was still staring at the doorway stunned, but resigned. “What does he mean?” I asked.

She looked up at me, her expression strangely blank. “They’re going to teach us how to fight.”

CHAPTER 3

I felt like I had just fallen asleep, when Grady shook me awake at six in the morning. I mumbled a good morning, and stood up, briefly taking a peek outside. Dark grey clouds were dumping rain in biblical proportions. As I got dressed, I started to wonder how they would pair us up for training. I refused to face off with Alexis, or Brianna. But even against Liam or Neila, I wasn’t sure how I could fight with my powers and not hurt them.

The more I thought about the training to come, something seemed to wake up inside of me. Alien thoughts and feelings flooded me, and suddenly I wanted to train, and stretch myself. To see how far my powers could go. At the sound of someone opening my door, I whirled around, my powers revved up, ready to defend.

Alexis stood in the doorway in a black tracksuit and her long red hair tied back, the slight smile she’d had on her face, faded. Her emerald eyes studied me, probably picking up on every emotion I felt. I closed my eyes and turned away, not wanting her to see the small war I was fighting within myself. I coerced the strange thoughts to slink away, back into the darkness.

“What’s wrong?”

I turned back to her, and smiled. “Nothing,” I said, and grabbed her hand and led her out of the room. Scratch that, I attempted to lead her out of the room.

She locked her legs and refused to budge. Her green eyes grew stormy as she stared me down. “Don’t even try it. Something’s up, and I want to know right now what it is.”

For a moment I considered telling her the truth. I imagined all the questions, the concern and then she would want to tell the Grove. The urge to protect myself rose up again. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close. “I’m just concerned about this training. I don’t want you to get hurt.” She raised a brow in suspicion, but at the sound of Ciara calling us downstairs, she let it go.

The seriousness of the situation hung on the adults faces, and after a quiet breakfast, we were taken down to a large basement that looked more like a dungeon. The only furniture was a couple of lanterns, table and chairs, and a low wooden platform.

Ciara assembled everyone against the wall on the far side of the room, except for Liam and Neila, who stood in the center, opposite each other. She then came to stand before us. “Since Liam and Neila have sparred before, they’ll start. Remember the goal isn’t to hurt each other, but to practice using your powers for offensive and defensive purposes.” This last seemed to be a reminder solely for Liam and Neila.

With a wicked glint in her eyes, Neila stepped forward, and with a wave of her hands, she produced a ball of fire, and hurled it at Liam. It glanced off of his shoulder. Burning through his plaid shirt. He hissed in pain, and glared at her. Faster than Neila could prepare for, Liam created a ball of water, hurtled it over her head and released it. Water poured over her, and cascaded down her body, her long brown hair that had been neatly in a top knot, now hung limply at the back of her head. Grady muffled a guffaw next to me, but Ciara looked tense and anxious as she looked at them. Liam snickered and raised a taunting brow.

With movements that spoke of her fury, she removed the pins from her hair and let it fall. Staring Liam down, she put her hands together, and the room started to throb with energy. She built a huge fire ball and abruptly threw it at Liam, who only had time to create a thin water shield to duck behind, the fire sizzled as it hit the surface, and evaporated. Without pause, Neila built another one, small and fast that smacked his thigh hard. He didn’t make a sound but his wrath was obvious. In rapid succession he sent several water balls at her, hitting Neila in the chest and legs, she was completely drenched now. Fuming, she built another weapon.

“Enough!” Ciara roared, and stepped between the two combatants. “Neila go up and change. Liam, Grady will help you clean and dress your wounds. Go on.”

Neila stomped off, with Liam not far behind. Barely repressing a smile, Grady got between them, but as soon as they were out of sight of Ciara, their raised voices could be heard down the staircase. I shook my head. Liam should just grab Neila and kiss her, and get all this sexual tension out of the way.

Ciara snapped her fingers at us to get our attention. “Alexis, Brianna, you’re up next.”

Brianna looked nervous and Alexis patted her on the back.

“Brianna, I want you to change into whatever animal you want, and Alexis do what you can to defend yourself.”

Alexis nodded solemnly, and waited. Since they weren’t trying to kill each other like the last two, I knew I could watch Alexis and Brianna with a sense of excitement. While Alexis and I both had amazing powers, I was psyched to see Brianna shape shift.

After taking a strengthening breath, a dark shimmer cascaded over Brianna and within seconds the girl had been replaced with a massive Bengal tiger, that immediately charged at Alexis. Instinctively I darted forward only to be jerked to a halt by Ciara, with a grip stronger than I would’ve expected from her, but my eyes never left Alexis.

Her eyes were wide, but without hesitation she used her telekinesis to yank the table in front of her. Brianna was too close to leap it in time, so she slammed into it, shoving them back a couple of feet. In seconds they were both back up. Brianna vaulted the table, and Alexis barely got out of the way in time. Brianna growled in frustration as she chased Alexis down. Using her powers she tossed a couple of chairs in the way, but Brianna easily leapt over them. My fists clenched.
Come on Alexis
…

Suddenly she sprinted to the right, levitating the wooden platform, raising it towards the ceiling, with a huge leap she made it on. The breath I had been holding burst out of me and I smiled. Brianna circled and growled below her, and Alexis started laughing. It almost looked like the tiger smiled before Brianna shimmered again and the girl was back, laughing up at Alexis. Once Alexis was back on solid ground, Ciara clapped with pride. “Very good. Now next time Brianna I want you to change into several animals, the faster the better. And Alexis, you need to think faster on your feet. If this had been real…” Alexis nodded, but I could tell she was still to exhilarated to absorb the truth of it.

Ciara then turned to me. “Now it’s our turn.”

I blinked at her in surprise. I hadn’t expected to be included since my powers couldn’t be used as a weapon, or at least not without hurting her. I glanced at Alexis, she nodded in encouragement. I couldn’t believe Ciara was willing to go up against me considering she didn’t trust me.

“Since you have a mental power, see if you can block me from reading you.”

We took our places and faced each other head on. Immediately I could feel that soft tingling of my senses that told me she was reading me. I tried to merely mentally resist her, to no effect. An urge to defend myself at all costs rose up. I tried to fight it off. I was safe here. Ciara was an ally. But then her reading became even stronger, irritating my senses. I could hold back no longer, I zeroed in on her, entering her mind before she knew what was happening, and started blocking off her powers. I was vaguely aware that she had fallen to her knees with a gasp, but I
needed
to finish the mental block in her mind. Suddenly I was jerked off my feet, and slammed up against the wall. For a moment, I felt lost in my own mind, then the mental fog cleared. When I looked over at Ciara, I saw her huddled on the floor, surrounded by Brianna and Alexis. Alexis had her hand raised towards me, her power holding me against the wall. “Christian, I don’t know what you’re doing, but stop it!”

Confused, I just stared at her not comprehending, then I felt myself
in
Ciara’s mind. Horrified I released her. I started to move forward to apologize, but Ciara lifted her head, and glared at me in warning. Shakily she stood up and with Brianna’s help and left the room. I turned to Alexis who stared at me with anger, hurt, and disbelief in her eyes. Wordlessly she whirled around, and ran upstairs. I leaned against the wall, and slid down into a slump on the floor. What had I done? I couldn’t remember the last couple of minutes. Recalling the look in Alexis’s eyes I felt sick. I needed to talk to her.

I concentrated on sensing Alexis’s powers, she wasn’t in the house. I didn’t want to bump into Ciara or anyone else, so I looked for another exit out of the basement. Spotting a curtain at a weird spot in the room, I walked over and lifted it out of the way. There was a door behind it with an old looking lock. After a couple of tries I finally swung the door free, stale air filled my nose, as I looked down into a dark dank tunnel. With a lantern I slipped inside, and closed the door behind me. Normally I wasn’t claustrophobic, but I felt like a trapped rat, and considered turning back when I finally came to another door. It needed a lot of jiggling and a hard shove before it opened. After the darkness of the tunnel, the bright green of the forest was startling; I shielded my eyes with my hand as they adjusted to the bright light of day. The rain had stopped, and the sun was making an appearance. I closed the door, and arranged the ivy so it concealed it again. Sensing Alexis nearby, I headed up the path towards the circle.

Halting just outside the circle, I looked around confused. I could sense her powers so strongly that I should’ve been standing next to her. “Alexis!”

“I’m up here.”

I looked to find Alexis semi-reclining in a Rowan tree above me. Her long red curls swaying below her in the wind. I didn’t like how her voice sounded, I couldn’t pinpoint the emotion in it, and that made me more nervous than anything. She didn‘t seem angry, but I had a feeling that what she felt now was worse. “Could you come down and talk to me?”

“No,” she said, quiet but firm.

I became more worried by the second. “What are you doing?” She hadn’t even bothered to look down at me yet.

She put her hands to her temples. “I’m trying to get a vision. I’ve heard Druids have been able to get them this way.”